LIFE IN SALT LAKE CITY;
OR,
A Visit to the Mormons.
By LEON LEWIS,
AUTHOR OF "THE GIRL HERMIT," "THE BOY MA- GICIAN," "THE BROKEN HOME," "RED KNIFE,"
ETC., ETC., ETC.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE DANITES AGAIN IN THE WAY.
Thus have I shunned the fire, for fear of burning. And drenched me in the sea, where I am drowned.
SHAKESPEARE.
The tramp of footsteps which had startled Mountain Jack and Winnie, as narrated, at the same time startling and thrilling their prisoner, Elder True, as he lay bound and helpless at their feet, in a vault of Dr. Burton's cellar—this sound of footsteps suddenly ceased, and a silence like that of the grave took possession of the scene.
Evidently two men had entered the house, the tread being double, as we have indicated. Evi-dently, too, these men had come to a halt, at the top of the cellar stairs, and were looking around and listening. "They are True's men," thought Mountain Jack.
"They have admitted themselves with a duplicate key. Either they come here by agree-ment with the Elder, or because they are alarmed at his long absence. In either case—"
It is a noteworthy privilege of man that he can act while he is thinking, and Jack had ac-cordingly been as busy with his hands as with his brains.
Cocking his rifle, he had placed its muzzle against the prisoner's forehead, with a signifi-cant gesture.
This gesture informed him, quite as plainly as words could have done, that he would be shot dead at the slightest cry or movement.
He was accordingly both motionless and silent. , Seeing that he comprehended his situation so well, Jack bent over him and whispered:
"They are your men, I suppose?"
The Elder looked an affirmative.
"If you were to call to them, they would come this way at once?"
True's manner attested that he was vividly conscious of this fact.
"But they would not reach you in time to save your life," continued Weber. "They would find only your dead body!"
The prisoner nodded assent.
"You see, therefore, that your tongue cannot serve you at this moment, but is capable of cost-ing you your life. And for these reasons you will doubtless be willing to put a wholesome restraint upon that useful portion of your body. You must be gagged again!" The act was instantly accomplished.
It is difficult, however, to gag a man so thoroughly as to prevent him from uttering a muffled, moaning sound, quite loud enough to be heard immediately around him.
Weber accordingly whispered to Winnie to place her revolver to the prisoner's ear, to shoot him at the least cry, and to have no fears at be-ing left alone in the dark a few moments with him.
A look was her answer.
Then Mountain Jack, again seizing his rifle, slipped from the vault, closing the door behind him and locking it, and bearing the Elder's dark lantern with him.
These measures were not executed without some noise, the door of the vault creaking and the bolt being rusty in the lock, but the intruders were making a still louder noise, they having directed their attention to Dr. Burton's bed- room, and hence they heard only the sound of their own movements.
Flashing his light a single instant around him, Jack selected a good hiding-place, behind some bins and barrels at one corner of the cellar. Then, shutting off his light, and holding his rifle in readiness for action, he listened to the move-ments of the intruders.
"Nobody's here," he heard one of them say.
"Let's take a peep up stairs," returned the other.
The measure was executed, and the couple then returned to the sitting-room.
"They're gone, no doubt," muttered the former speaker. "But we must take a look at the cellar, of course."
They accordingly descended the cellar stairs, one of them bearing a light with which they had come provided—with a dark lantern, in fact, which was a perfect counterpart of the Elder's.
As good fortune would have it, they halted near the foot of the cellar stairs, looking around them, in such a position that Jack, peering from his hiding-place, was able to scan them distinctly. They were coarse, sinister looking men, bearded like goats, possessed of giant frames, dark, sav-age complexions and murderous looking eyes—just such ruffians as are to be found at the lowest depths of society in all newly settled countries. They were armed in regular outlaw fashion, each being an arsenal of weapons.
"You see how it is, Beaver?" queried the one carrying the lantern, as he flashed its beams in various directions. "They've gone."
"Evidently," answered the other, drawing an old silver watch from his vest pocket and noting the time carefully. "But see here, Badger."
"Badger and Beaver, eh?" thought Jack, as the latter paused for his comrade to mark the hour. "They are Danites."
"To be sure, it isn't much after three o'clock," assented Badger. "And three o'clock was the hour named for our coming here. This is the way it was, you see. The parents—the Doctor and his old woman—were to be got rid of along toward one or two o'clock, and then True was to seize the gal. If he was particularly favored, he was to take an early start, and bring away the gal without help, meeting us at the Jordan Bridge. On the other hand, if the business hung fire, the Elder was to stay here until three o'clock, waiting for us to come and help him. But you see how it is? He has got through here without any trouble. The old uns are got rid of. The gal has been seized. And everything going off lovely, True has dug out with his prize, intend-ing to meet us at the Bridge."
"You're right, I reckon." returned Beaver." We've arrived here jest enough behind time to miss'em."
"That's clear enough. And so all that remains for us is to shove back to the Bridge. He and the gal may have gone up one side of a block as we came down the other."
"That's so. And it is in some sich way that we've missed them."
Moving in various directions, and flashing their light around them, the two men made a still closer examination of the cellar. As was natural, they soon discovered the vault in which True, in charge of Winnie, was confined.
"See here," muttered Beaver.
"Why, it's a regular dungeon!" declared Badger.
"Wonder what's for?"
"Can't be an ash bin."
They examined the door and lock attentively.
"Oh, I understand it now," said Badger sud-denly. "This house was formerly owned by a jeweller— by Nelson, you know. He must have had this place made as a sort of store-room. Reckon I remember something about it. There was no sich thing as a safe in Salt Lake, in them days—nothing in the bank line. That's it."
"Well, we may as well start. The Elder has certainly gone. He didn't expect any trouble, you know. His idee of leaving here at three o'clock was to make all sure. Three o'clock is the dead o'night at this season. At this time o'night everything's quiet, and that's why the El-der chose that partic’lar time. But it's clear that he got off in good season, and we must hasten to foller him."
Badger assented without speaking, and the couple immediately left the cellar. Their foot-steps soon died out of the sitting-room, and Jack emerged from his place of concealment just in time to hear them depart by the rear en-trance.
"Good!" was his simple comment. "The thing couldn't have turned better."
Waiting a minute or two, to make himself doubly sure of the departure of the Danites, Jack uncovered his lantern, and unlocked the door of the vault, again entering the presence of Winnie and their prisoner. " They've gone," he announced.
The prisoner's countenance fell. He made signs that he wanted to speak, and Jack took the gag out of his mouth.
"The idiots!" the Elder then ejaculated. Jack smiled contentedly.
"You do them injustice in your rage," he re-marked. "They supposed that you had left, with Miss Winnie."
"But they might at least have made a thor-ough search of the premises. They only poked around a little."
"Well, they didn't make a close search," as-sented Jack. "But the reason is simple. They supposed you to be gone."
"I heard'em chattering like a couple of monk-eys at the very door of the vault," growled the prisoner bitterly. "Where was you all this time ?"
"Behind the barrels in one corner of the cel-lar."
"And you saw the idiots?"
"Yes. They were Beaver and Badger. And I am much the wiser for their conversation."
"How so?"
"To begin with, I learned that you have taken a leading part in the disappearance of the Doc-tor and his wife. In fact, the first point in this business was for you to 'get rid' of them. And what I want of you now, Elder, is to tell me how they were 'got rid' of."
The prisoner was silent. Only a sudden in-crease of pallor in his countenance attested that he had heard the observation.
"Speak!" enjoined Jack, raising one of his massive hands threateningly. "Speak, or—"
"I know nothing of the Doctor's whereabouts," declared the villain. "And if I did—"
“You do! Don't deny it!" enjoined Jack still more sternly. "I know that you are aware of the fate that has befallen them. You had an understanding with Bishop Coulter."
"You may think what you please," muttered True sullenly. "All I have to say is that you won't get no information out o' me—none what- ever!"
"I won't, eh?" demanded Jack, with terrible emphasis, as he seated the prisoner against one of the sides of the vault.
"No, you won't!"
"I won't, eh? Since this is your mood, let me give you a hint."
The heavy hand descended upon the prisoner's right ear, with such effect that everything seemed swimming around him. This blow was followed by another on the other ear from Jack's right hand, which fairly stunned the ruffian.
"Now, then," finally enjoined Jack, "if you don't wish to die, tell me what has become of the Doctor."
For a moment True seemed more dead than alive, leaning his head against the wall and panting feebly.
"I'll never tell you anything—never!" he then declared vehemently," with a face more doggedly resolute than ever. "You may kill me, if you choose, but you won't get from me any information whatever."
"Will you lose your ears first?" asked Jack, drawing his hunting knife.
"Yes, I will!" answered True desperately, "and my head with them!"
“I'll test the question with you, at the right hour and place," said Jack, with a terrible se-verity of voice and manner.
"You will not dare carry matters to such ex-tremities!" muttered True savagely.
"Don't deceive yourself in that way. Elder," was Jack's response." Is there anything too terrible for me to do to you? You have devoted the Doctor and his wife to some horrible fate. You are causing this young girl to suffer agonies worse than death. Don't you see that you have more than forfeited your life?"
"I' ve said all I have to say."
"And so have I, for the present. But just so certainly as you remain in my hands twenty-four hours, just so certainly will I torture the secret out of you, unless I can obtain it in some other manner. For the present, out of regard to Miss Burton's presence, I permit your obstinacy to be temporarily successful."
The Elder drew a long breath of relief, but with eyes and features glowing more savagely than ever.
"I know who you are, my fine hero." he mut-tered,"and I shall soon get square with you!"
"Meanwhile," said Winnie, turning her back to the ruffian, " what shall we do with him? We can't'leave him here ?"
"No," replied Jack. "Neither he nor we can remain here. We have been here too long al-ready. We must gag the Elder again, to pre- vent him from calling for help, and gag him ef-fectually."
He hastened to execute this task, availing him-self of the piece of wood he had first employed for this purpose.
"We shall keep him, Winnie, of course, as a hostage for your parents," resumed Weber. "And to keep him securely, we must take him away from the city. As another precaution, I will plug up his ears, so that he can't hear any-thing. Let's see? What can I use for this pur-pose?"
"Some of his own fine cut tobacco!"
"The very thing! A good stuffing of this sort, well bound on with a handkerchief—"
"Which you can at the same time use to blind-fold him, so that he cannot see where he is go-ing?" suggested Winnie.
"Capital!" returned Jack. "He shall not only he gagged, but his ears shall be plugged up, and he shall be blindfolded. The more precautions we take with such a desperate and dangerous wretch the better."
These several measures were all soon exe-cuted, and True at length looked about as much like a bale of merchandise as like a man.
"And now we’ll be off," murmured Winnie.
"Yes, dear," replied Weber. "We will now mount the Elder upon one of your father's horses, tying his legs under the animal's chest. And then we'll lock up the house and barn, mount the other two horses, slip out into the street as silently as we can, and push for the depths of the mountains."
"And leave behind us this terrible secret re-specting my parents?" moaned Winnie, with a passionate grief." Oh, how dreadful! But I see that no other course is left us. And the sooner we are off the better."
Within five minutes, acting upon these propo-sitions, Winnie and Jack took their departure from the premises, with their prisoner riding between them.
The long night was now waning in a dark-ness like that of the grave. Not a beam of light was seen, neither upon the earth nor in the heavens. Not a footfall was heard in the Mor-mon capital. A wild breeze raged sullenly from the lake, suggesting the nearness of the coming winter. No form of life or sign of movement was visible. The silence reigning over the scene was that of the hour which immediately precedes the dawn.
"How the night has flown!" said Weber, as they turned the corner nearest to the forsaken dwelling. "We have not started too soon."
"And what a night this has been!"
"Yes. But it has given us one mercy—the pos-session of this man. I think we shall get off safely to the hills with him."
"But where are we going?" asked Winnie, in a whisper that True could not have heard, even if he had been in the full enjoyment of his hearing.
"You have no plan, I suppose—no prefer-ence?"
"None."
"Then we will go straight to my house. You have been there, you know. The distance is fourteen miles. We can get there before it is fairly daylight. Perhaps you noticed that I brought the Elder's lantern? I'll light it as soon as we are well out of the city."
"But you are not heading for the Emigration Road?"
"No, dear. We'll bear away to the left, and pass out of the city into the open fields between the Road and the Cemetery. I am used to this route, and it is shorter."
"We shall hardly meet any one at this hour of the morning."
"Hardly. There are some immigrants en-camped at the mouth of Emigration Kanyon, and still another body near Big Kanyon Creek Station, but the road between the two camps is clear of them."
Thus conversing by the way, the couple at length entered the mouth of Emigration Kan-yon, avoiding the camp to which reference has been made, and commenced the ascent of the mountains, Jack lighting the Elder's lantern and leading off briskly.
An hour and a half was thus passed, and in this time the little party nearly traversed the Kanyon proper, arriving within a hundred rods of the point where the Road bears away from Emigration Creek, and across the divide sepa-rating it from the Big Kanyon valley.
"The day is at hand," murmured Winnie, at this juncture. "See how light the east is getting!"
"I wish it were daylight already," returned Weber. "We have some rough places just ahead of us."
Continuing their way, they soon, bore away from Emigration Creek and began climbing Little Mountain.
"The worst is over," said Jack, half an hour after leaving the Creek, as they reached one of the uppermost tables of the Western slope.
"We shall soon be at home." Encouraged by this hope, they had advanced into the centre of the barren table, whose sur-face was a mass of rock, when an unwelcome sound startled Jack, and he drew rein abruptly.
"What is it?" asked Winnie, also halting. The sound in question had now taken definite shape to Jack's hearing.
"There are several horses, and consequently several horsemen, coming at full tilt toward us," he whispered hurriedly.
"Do you make it out so?"
Winnie assented.
"I can't think who or what they can be," added Weber, "but they are undoubtedly ene-mies. I'll put out our light," and he suited the action to the word, "and we’ll hide in the woods to the left of us, allowing these parties to pass us."
They had scarcely secured a good hiding-place, when three horsemen came riding into view, talking excitedly. They were Lieutenant Hilber, Adder and Grizzly.
“Yes, Osburn sold us entirely," Hilber was saying. "He had no fourteen men there. I doubt if he had one!"
"Well, we'll soon carry the news to town," murmered Adder. "We'll soon smoke him out!" Mountain Jack had scarcely heard these words, when his horse set up a loud neigh, as a saluta-tion to the stranger horses.
"Hallo, boys!" cried Hilber, with an oath, as he drew rein. "What do you call that?"
"A stray horse evidently," replied Adder. "We must take him in."
They advanced toward the spot from which the neigh had proceeded.
"Bless me! if there an't three of them!" ex-claimed Grizzly, a ruffian worthy of those we have more particularly introduced.
"And three persons upon 'em!" returned Hil-ber, rising in his stirrups and peering into the bushes. "And one of the three a woman! At this hour of the morning! And in such a place, too! Why, this is odd enough. We shall have to make their acquaintance."
He accordingly rode nearer, followed by his two companions.
CHAPTER XIV.
A RAVENING WOLF.
O. from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or he nothing worth.
HAMLET.
The day was now breaking, with a raw wind, a lead-colored sky, and all the desolations of autumn.
"Halt, there!" commanded Mountain Jack to the Danites, as he brought his rifle into a posi-tion for instant use. "You have no concern with us, gentlemen. Go your ways in peace!"
The Danites halted, whispering among them-selves.
"Away with you!" added Jack.
His voice was so imperious that the three men drew rein to the left, and began moving slowly in the direction they had been going, but not without looking back at every step.
"And now to get out of this," muttered Jack, as he resumed his hold of the Elder's bridle.
"It is getting lighter every moment, and they’ll soon be able to make out who our prisoner is.”
Keeping to the edge of the bushes, he led the way to the eastward, at a smart walk, and Win-nie took good care not to be left a step behind him.
They were still within the limits of the barren, rocky plateau, however, when, looking back, they saw that the three men had halted—then turned, and were now following them.
Jack accordingly drew rein again. "Did you not hear me, gentlemen?" he called to them. "Go your ways, and leave us to ours!" Instead of complying, the Danites continued to ride toward him," and Hilber called:
"You will excuse us, neighbor. The road is free to us in both directions."
"Then pass on," returned Jack, as he again turned to the left, entering a little wooded ra-vine just off the road, and here coming to a halt, in a posture of defence.
Not another word was said until the Danites were abreast of the little ravine in question, and then coming to a halt in the middle of the road, they again faced Weber and his com-panions.
"It's that neighbor of ours," muttered Hilber.
"What! Mountain Jack?" queried Adder.
"Yes; it's Mountain Jack!"
The fact impressed the Danites visibly. They had evidently heard enough of their neighbor to respect him.
"He's that hunter or scout, or what not, who has lately come to live on one of the slopes of Little Mountain, I suppose?" asked Grizzly.
"The same," answered Hilber.
"And we have agreed to clean him out, the case ever arising," muttered Adder.
On his part, Jack looked at the trio closely.
"They are evidently Danites," he whispered to Winnie. "I can't imagine what they are doing here, and at this hour of the morning!"
"And what did that one mean who said that Osburn had sold them? What Osburn did he speak of? Harry, do you suppose?"
"It's quite possible. Is it not about time to look for Harry's arrival ?"
"Oh, yes— yes!"
"It must be Harry, then. An enemy clearly! One who has gone on to the city! This points plainly enough, in connection with the name to your young friend. He must have encountered these ruffians, and proved himself too much for them."
"You think, then, that these men are Dan-ites ?" asked Winnie.
"They act like it" said Jack thoughtfully. "Can it be that they have discovered what I am at here in the mountains?"
"Mr. Jack!" called Hilber at this moment.
"Well, sir? " You needn't be quite so rough with us "pro-ceeded Hilber. " Perhaps you are not aware that we are your neighbors?"
"No, I wasn't aware of it," said Jack. "How does it happen?"
"Why a good friend of ours named Upley, be-coming tired of city life, has established a her-mitage on one of the tops of Little Mountain, scarcely more than a mile from your new cabin."
"Indeed! And you are playing hermits with this Upley. I suppose?”
"No, only as visitors. We rode out from the city yesterday to pay him a visit."
“And have taken an early start, I see, for your return to the city. All right, gentlemen. Per-mit me to wish you an expeditious journey."
"Thank you. But pardon us. We are curious to know who that young lady is with you. It's so odd, you see, that she should be travelling here at such an hour of the morning. Is she your daughter, Mr. Jack?" "She is a friend of mine," replied Jack. "Ride on, gentlemen, and spare us further question-ing."
Instead of heeding this injunction, the trio advanced nearer, continuing to scan the three figures before them alternately, and with great interest.
"Halt, there!" again commanded Jack, in a tone of unmistakable impatience. " Halt!" and the sharp snap of his rifle, as he cocked it, attested that he meant to be obeyed implicitly.
The Danites accordingly halted.
The morning had continued to dawn rapidly, however, during these few moments, and its light was now sufficient for the three men to note the appearance and characteristics of We-ber and his companions quite distinctly.
"The girl's really a beauty!" muttered Hilber
"And what is that man or thing on the other horse?" asked Adder. "Looks as much like a sack of flour as anything. It's a man, though—a prisoner! See how he is bound and bundled!"
"That's so," muttered Grizzly. "And see! they've tied the prisoner to the horse! Blind-folded him too! Why, what does this mean?"
"And the girl," muttered Hilber, again rising in his stirrups, and fixing all the powers of his gaze upon Winnie ,"the girl!—"
"What of her?" asked Adder.
"Why, I've certainly seen her—on horseback too—riding like the best of us—"
"On horseback? Where?"
"Ah! I remember now!" and Hilber started violently. "She is the young woman who has been riding about the vicinity so much lately. She even came up the Creek road the other day. I know her by sight. But who is she?"
"That Doctor's daughter, p'r'aps," said Griz-zly abruptly. "Doctor Burton's, you know."
Hilber struck his clenched hand to his fore-head.
"The very thing!" he ejaculated. "She came here from the East lately. Her beauty, horse-manship and everything has made a positive sensation. Yes, it's the Doctor's daughter!"
"But see here!" put in Grizzly excitedly. "Doctor Burton's daughter is the young woman that Elder True is hunting. I heard the Cap'n say so."
"You did ?" cried Hilber breathlessly.
"As sure's I'm here!"
"Then how does it happen—"
"Why, it might happen in this way," inter-rupted Adder, with the fierceness of a blood-hound. "As I have heard both Bull and Bear say, this Mountain Jack has been training a great deal lately with the said Dr. Burton. It was Bull and Bear, you know, that watched 'em, at the Elder's orders, and dug up the Doctor's money, in less than an hour after Mountain Jack had buried it back of his house. Well, what I am getting at is this: The Elder may have tried to seize the girl, as was his intention—"
"Ah! I see!" and Hilber scanned the Elder's figure excitedly.
“And Mountain Jack may have come to the girl's rescue," resumed Adder. "In fact, be-tween the two, they may have taken the Elder prisoner—"
Hilber started violently.
"And this strange looking object, so bundled and blindfolded, may be nothing more or less than the Elder himself!" finished Adder.
"By heavens! you've hit it!" cried Hilber, a prey to the wildest agitation. " The girl being the Doctor's daughter, the prisoner is the Elder!"
All this conversation, since their last halt, had been conducted in too low a tone for Weber and Winnie to hear anything they said, but it was easy to see that the Danites were every instant becoming more and more excited.
"It's hard for them to leave us," explained Weber to Winnie. "Their curiosity is aroused. They have probably detected that we have a prisoner here with us. They'll soon come to some conclusion, however."
"I say, Mr. Jack!" called Hilber suddenly.
"What will you have, sir?"
"Who is that man with you?"
"As you see, he is a prisoner," replied Jack.
"I believe I have no particular call to answer your insolent questions. Your own tongues will probably bear me witness that I have made every effort to avoid any trouble with you."
"Well, what then?" queried Hilber, with an insolence equal to his excitement.
"Only this," returned Jack, "that I will give you just thirty seconds to get out of the range of my rifle. And this is all I have to say to you."
"We shall not go," replied Hilber. "until we know who that prisoner is. The girl, we have decided, is Dr. Burton's daughter. And such being the case, we infer that the prisoner is the Elder."
At this information Jack sighed profoundly.
"You hear, Winnie?" he whispered. " We shall not get off without a fight. These fellows are in some way mixed up with your Badgers and Beavers. They're ready to fight for the Elder!"
At this juncture, Hilber shouted with all the strength of his lungs to the Elder:
"Hallo, Elder True! Is it you? Is it you?"
Whether it was that the Elder heard these words, or whether it was that he merely guessed at the state of affairs around him, we cannot say, but it is none the less certain that a hope of rescue had really entered his breast, for he suddenly pitched himself headlong from the saddle
"Forward!" cried Hilber, at the same moment drawing a revolver.
Two reports followed in quick succession, and Hilber and Adder both tumbled from their saddles. Seeing this, Grizzly turned and fled—just as Weber drew a revolver with which to meet him.
"That rids us of them," said Jack, who had not once relinquished his hold of the bridle of the horse upon which True was mounted. "And now to look after the Elder."
Leaping lightly to the ground, he hastened to relieve the Elder from a situation that the rest-lessness of his horse was rendering decidedly unpleasant—he having failed to break the rope attached to his feet, and consequently having merely suspended himself, head downward, under the animal's body.
"So," muttered Jack, as he raised the Elder to the saddle, securing him therein even more firmly than before. " You haven't left us yet."
And with this he mounted again, still retaining his hold of the Elder's bridle.
"You killed two of them," murmured Winnie.
"Evidently. They don't move. But no other resource was left me." " The other one has fled."
"Yes. He rides as if mad, or terribly fright-ened. Don't you hear the clattering of his horse's hoofs ?"
"I shouldn't think he'd dare ride that way down such steep places?"
"Perhaps he thinks the risk of doing so the least of two evils," said Jack smilingly. "In any case, we have come out a little ahead in the encounter, and will now go on in peace and safety."
They resumed their way accordingly. They had not gone ten rods, however, when Grizzly again appeared in the scene, stealing after them.
The fact was, he had slipped from his saddle, the moment he was under cover, and had struck the animal a furious blow, that had sent him down the mountain at full gallop.
And then, drawing a knife and a revolver, and setting his teeth tightly together, Grizzly had stole toward the scene of conflict, taking care to keep out of sight behind rocks and bushes.
"That prisoner is the Elder," he muttered, as he neared his fallen comrades. "And any Elder has influence with Brigham. If I set him free, I can be somebody in Salt Lake. The Gentile can't have killed both Hilber and Adder—"
"No, not me." said the latter, leaping to his feet. "He took me with the second barrel, and I was a little too quick for him. His ball raked my back, from the shoulder-blades down, as I threw myself from the horse, and I ache as if flayed alive, but I think it isn't serious. At any rate, I am able to fight. Hilber, I reckon, has got a shot too many." They examined the prostrate ruffian. Fe was already dead.
“My plan is this,” said Grizzly, resuming the pursuit, with a desperate calmness. “ I will slip and cut the rope, from the horse and into the bushes, where I'll unbind him before Jack can get a good shot at me. You, on the other hand, taking the other side of the road, can do good execution with your revolver, and between us—"
"Good! let's beat it!" interrupted Adder ea-gerly. "There are plenty of bushes just ahead of us and the road is narrow. What is better yet, there is a sharp turn, and by taking across cut we can overtake 'em—intercept ' em—creep in upon 'em unawares!"
"Quick, then! Let's give 'em thunder! Eager and stealthy, desperately resolute, they hastened to carry out their purpose.
It thus happened that, a few minutes later, as Weber and Winnie were jogging quietly on their way, they heard a sudden rushing sound behind them.
Turning quickly, they saw Elder True just dis-appearing into the bushes beside the road, in the hands of the two Danites, who were dragging him.
And at this instant a third figure appeared in the scene—that of Buffalo, who, left in charge of the Look-out, had heard the shots of Mountain Jack, and hastened down to the road to see what was the matter.
Thus three Danites were in the field, and the Elder was fairly in their hands!
Mountain Jack had too clear a head not to comprehend at a glance what a signal advan-tage had been gained by the enemy.
"True's you live, Winnie, they've turned the tables upon us!" he whispered. "Our best hold is flight."
He led the way at a smart gallop, and Winnie as promptly followed, but a terrible voice was already heard behind them. "Yes, it is me!" True was crying, his friends having set him free.
"And now for revenge! To the pursuit, all of you!"
"He's like a ravening wolf!" cried Weber.
"He's coming!" returned Winnie. " They are all coming together!"
"And there are four of them now," exclaimed Jack. "We must hurry!"
"And hear True cursing and raving," mur-mured Winnie. "He is indeed raging like a wolf!"
Oh! what a flight was then and there begun! And what a pursuit tore through those wild mountain passes!
[TO BE CONTINUED.]
